Kosovo's status and the outcome of the parliamentary elections in Serbia are not a direct threat to Macedonia's security, the National Security Council assessed at its session yesterday. Macedonia's security services were instructed to dedicate special attention to the extreme groups and the large quantity of weapons in the region, which, together with the weak Kosovo institutions, are possible security risks.

"The Security Council was informed about the assessments and analyses of the political and security situation with regard to Kosovo's status. We assessed all possible proposals for the status, as well as Belgrade and Pristina's responses. At this moment, there are no indications of serious violations of the security situation or the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Macedonia," President Branko Crvenkovski, chairman of the National Security Council, said after the session.